New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-06
CENSUS METHODS CRITICISED.

The opening address before the American
Soc;oI Sc;.rce Association Yesterday at Sara
Coo, doo,t with q sub ;ect of national import
ance. The president, the lion. |arro'i ~
WRIGHT himself statstician OF blgh repu'a-
ton discussed the problems oil the 0ehsu'
with reference TO the next decenniai ehuh'cra-
,;on While he did not hesitate TO give ueh-
oral Walker full credit for the Census OF 1851
uh;cb has commanded the admiration oil stat
;sticians and economists throughout Europe
he contended that the limit to which sucn
undertakings could be prudendy carried nao
bcen reached and that it was doubtful whcthei
il would be expcdient for long term OF years
to repeat the work on so comprehensive
basis. He spoke enthusiastically OF the lehth
Census as a magnificent conception, nsing iar
above the five primary schedules ana aSS",'-
ing the proportions of work encSciopeuo
in character. He considered it OF inestlmabe
value since no speech upon national topics
could be made in Congress without the use OF
facts asccrtaincd by the Census. lie was not
d;snoSed to cri,icise the cost of the work as
excessive, since General Walkers Census MAD
involved little or nc greater expense per zap
ita than previous enumcrations comprehehu'hs
q small proportion of the information cohtaiheu
in the Twenty-Five quarto volumes Oh inc
Tenth Census His argument in favor OF
halt in the progress of census Investigations
was based upon considerations OF the ifnerch'
difficulties of conducting accurate hVeS,isa,
tions of this nature and of the practlca'
utility of the results.
After illustrating the incompleteness Oh
results relating to mortality, niiteracy' ihsah'
". jdiocv occupation and pauperlsm ana &c
moustrating the Importance OF securing IN
creased accuracy in social Statistics Mr.
Wright contended that any elaborate atoemp'
ON the part of the Federal Government tc
obtain industrial and economic information
had been and always would be ATTENDED Win
;lI-success. While there had been no desire
TO do harm, much evil had resulted from I'M
perfect or inadequate inquiries respecting man
ufacturing and agricultural interests, anC
especially from an indispOsition on the par
of producers to impart all the lnidmation re-
onired for a harmonious exhibit. AS this Il
point TO which HE TRIBUNE has repeatedly
directed public attention we are we'll pleased u
find him emphasizing it in the passage OF hi
address which is reproduced in our Saratog'
ulSDatCn. Tic SHOWS JHdt NNN",'iNi' .N'
the Census based upon the relations OF pro
duct to capital are failacious since the amoun
of borrowed capital is left out OF the account
A product of 5 ,,OOO 900 by the Census VII
represent 81 100000 Of capital, whereas o.
900 900 more of credit capital has been act
ually employed. lie also exposes anothe
eglcgious error in the results relating to aver
age wages and thereby illustrates the falac!
of attempting TO solve a certain line OF econo
mic questions through existing census mcthod
which merely enable labor agtators TO ms
| represent the facts. His criticisms apply
with equal cogcncy to agricultural statistics
Mr.. Wright evidently deems 1T OF create
importance that the range OF demonstrating
should be reduced to more systematic forn
in 1890 than that inquiries should be
multiplied. He considers that the country
has grown too large 10 admit of extended in
yestigations through the methods Of cnumer'
alton. and that while much can be accomplished
by the cooperation Of Federal and STATE
authorities the process of ccnsus-taking shoulC
be greatly simplilied. General Walker
work in his Judgment should mark the limit
to which elaboration of the Federal Census
should be carried. The tendency hereafter
should be in the direction Of thOr0ughncss
and ciu,pIicity